NHS - Scotland and England
Jules_Thornley
Posts: 2,997 Forum Member
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Can anyone enlighten me as to what (if any) are the main differences between the way the NHS is presently run between England and Scotland?
We have just moved back to Scotland and I quite surprised at the difference in waiting times for appointments with consultants and the process.
In England, we would be referred then a letter of appt would come through. This process would take a week or two with the appt being usually timescale of 2months.
Where we are now- I don't get any appt letter or confirmation. All I know is I have been referred. I was referred in Nov and still havent got any appt info leading into March.
Obviously, I have spoken to GP receptionists and the have told me its at least a 3 month waiting list and no letters are sent out with appointments until the appointment is ready.
So I have to keep waiting. That's all.
I'm shocked at the difference in waiting times and procedure. Is this a local/regional difference or something to do with how the NHS is approached in Scotland?
Thanks for your help in advance!
We have just moved back to Scotland and I quite surprised at the difference in waiting times for appointments with consultants and the process.
In England, we would be referred then a letter of appt would come through. This process would take a week or two with the appt being usually timescale of 2months.
Where we are now- I don't get any appt letter or confirmation. All I know is I have been referred. I was referred in Nov and still havent got any appt info leading into March.
Obviously, I have spoken to GP receptionists and the have told me its at least a 3 month waiting list and no letters are sent out with appointments until the appointment is ready.
So I have to keep waiting. That's all.
I'm shocked at the difference in waiting times and procedure. Is this a local/regional difference or something to do with how the NHS is approached in Scotland?
Thanks for your help in advance!
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Must be regional as I am in Edinburgh and the process was as you described above but less of a wait. Got an MRI referral within a week and a clinic appointment in 2 weeks.
Did you get a letter or confirmation of appt early on? If you don't mind me asking.
So I assume it depends on demand in the area and how they handle it internally within the respective hospitals. The referral process. And this can vary place to place? Therefore I can assume our new hospital is pretty busy! Or understaffed etc.. I'm just interested at whether there is supposed to be a standard practice re referrals or whether these decisions are taken internally.
Waiting times at GP are hugely different too.
Powers lies with Scottish Parliament except for size of annual budget allocated to NHS Scotland which westminster decides
Well there you go.. That's how educated I am!
Thanks.
Isn't the NHS Scotland budget purely for the Scottish Parliament to decide? They can spend the block grant however they want. They could spend more on health if they wanted to by cutting spending elsewhere or use its tax raising powers.
Of course it's easier to blame Westminster for their problems.